Why fentanyl withdrawal is so unbearable
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- čas přidán 3. 03. 2024
- Over 2 million Americans have opioid use disorder, according to some estimates. Illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl were responsible for over 80,000 U.S. overdose deaths in 2023.
Despite the known risks, these drugs are notoriously hard to stop using - due in large part to how debilitating withdrawal can be.
“People get trapped in this terrible cycle where they don’t feel normal, they can’t function, they feel horribly ill unless they’re finding and using opioids,” explained Sarah Wakeman, medical director for substance use disorder at Mass General Brigham. “People will forgo other basic, primal needs like connection and sex and food just to relieve their withdrawal symptoms. That’s how powerful it is.”
Medications such as methadone and buprenorphine are very effective at treating opioid dependence, but despite sky-high overdose death rate, these treatments are unnecessarily hard to access in the United States, according to experts.
In this video, Wakeman explains how opioids work in the brain and why they cause such nightmarish withdrawal symptoms. She also explains how treating opioid use disorder with approved medications can help people lead normal, productive lives.
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Day 9 no Fentanyl ❤
56 DAYS
Edit: 56 days sober, and still going strong. You can do that shit, never thought I would be able to, and I did it even when I didn't want to! You can get clean....AND be happy❤️💯🤙
How are you feeling?
@@sejibaby3453 I'm feeling pretty good, thank you for asking! Noticing the bordum starting to kick in alot more now that my withdrawals are calming down, the whole chaos of that lifestyle keeps you busy and always having something to do/think about. Now I'm just at my aunts waiting for the rehab bed to open up, and no longer have some daily adventure to attain dope that I gotta go on lol. My last couple of family members took my car and kicked me out and that did it for me!
I’m on day 7 but I been a HEAVY iv user fet fkr last 7 years and oxy and h 10 years before that. I’m miserable can barely strength tk write this
Hold on there guys I'm also here trying my best
Day 6 no fent blue pills. Was using 4-5 yrs daily. This was the hardest battle I ever experienced but it did so much for me mentally. I’ve always had a addictive personality so with this new start I’m building myself mentally and physically. We got this 🤝
I hate when people say withdrawal is like the flu. Withdrawal brings me to the brink of suicide
Facts I made it 5 days locked in a room an decided to try to get on a methadone program I kno I was gonna relapse its miserable
@@whitemamba0089dam foreal bro ?
@@whitemamba0089u still was feeling bad after not using 5 days ?
@@wievc1942 it is the worst experience I've ever had, like suicidal type of ideas to escape that an I was a light user I could only imagine a full on "junkie" if the devil is real he's in that drug lol
Going through it now. Week 3. Suicide thoughts finally gone. Still an emotional wreck. I’m doing all I can, eating, exercise, win hof, gummies, vitamins, hydration. Still sux.
Perfect description! It's rare in the media.
I'm clean for 4 years. 17 years of drug use and 3 rehabs.. A long fight....
Yet you winning the war keep it up your victory is near , GOD BLESS AND LIVES YOU AND I AND ALL ELSE LOVE YA BRO
CONGRATS, I hope you are loving life bro!
Nice. I’ve already been to 3 rehabs and it’s only
Been 11 years… I can only imagaine how much worse it gets if I don’t stop now. I’ve tried 3-4 times this year and a half anyways!
Quite often ppl fail to mention that withdrawal, so physical pain but also emotional despair is only the beginning of quitting opioids. Real battle with yourself starts when the pain stops and you try to live without the high.
I quit at 21. I’m 32 years old. Anything is possible. ❤
:)
That's incredible!!
Thank God! Very proud of you!
But you didn't give up papas poopipe 😂
I am a combat veteran who was on opioids for 5 years due to severe spinal injury and when the doctor said “No more. Deal with it” I went cold turkey. I lived in my bathroom for 3 weeks begging for death. But the absolute torture was severe RLS and emotional instability! And I heard getting off fentanyl is a lot worse. Can’t even imagine anyone wanting to go back to it after they quit once and went thru this hell.
How do you manage the pain?
@@eustab.anas-mann9510 Marijuana (I use very little time after time but absolutely hate how I feel) and Kratom. We are all different and what works for me may not work for someone else. I know Kratom is addictive substance as well, but I rather rely on something legal and readily available. 🤷🏻♂️ Some of us live day to day and count small victories. I also suggest physical activities. Finding something that hurts the least and do it. Try to trick your body into thinking you’re somewhat healthy and it might help.
Wtf is wrong with your doctor?
The emotional instability it's terrible I've tried to explain this too it's terrible
how long did you have to deal with the withdrawal symptoms before your body finally adjusted and you were finally able to stop this addiction?
I could remember several years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD. Also suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my mom recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms
Congrats on your recovery. Most persons never realizes psilocybin can be used as a miracle medication to save lives. Years back i wrote an entire essay about psychedelics. they saved you from death bud, lets be honest here.
Can you help me with the reliable source. I'm 64 and have suffered for years with addiction, anxiety and severe ptsd, I got my panic attacks under control myself years ago and they have come back with a vengeance, I'm constantly trying to take full breaths but can't get the full satisfying breath out, it's absolutely crippling me, i live in Greece. I don't know much about these mushrooms. Really need a reliable source!! Can't wait to get them.
YES very sure of Dr.burkeshroom. I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
I hate that psilocybin gets grouped with drugs like cocaine and heroin. Mushrooms are a remedy, not a vice! I went on a microdose treatment for a couple of months and within the first week, every sight of a cigarette got me questioning why I was doing all that to myself. It really works.
childhood. It was relentless. I assumed it would ultimately end me somehow. About twelve years ago I randomly accepted the offer from a friend of a few doses of mushrooms. I did them two consecutive nights alone. First night was pretty mild. The second night? Wow. I saw my depression from every angle, realized much. Next day: depression totally gone. Never came back, never coming back. It's like it's a forest far away I can remember, and could probably find again with enough effort, but it has zero impact on anything in my life or mind. They honestly saved my life and improved it immensely. I never did them again, either. I wish there was a good, organized way to administer them to people who would benefit from them.
Amazing how many people commenting on this video are going through it from all walks of life. Just shows what a universal struggle addiction is.
❤In the same sense, it's amazing to see how many people have tapped into There strength to overcome the hardest thing that they'll ever overcome addiction and change their life around To See another day
This person is smart and articulate. And is able to talk about this difficult subject without moralizing. Well done.
Yes, an excellent job.
It’s like drowning and feeling like you’re fighting for air,, an endless feeling of doom and pain..
Thank you for sharing
brings you to the point that you're literally yelling out at the sky, begging for some relief. by day 3 or 4 you just want to have a break from the monotony of the misery, even if its just 3 minutes of relief
Withdrew thousands of times from heroin, fentynal, alcohol, and xzylazine. The inpending doom feeling is bad. No energy. Restless leg pain. Now im tapering from methadone and sick.
@@MatthewChicago ur a masochist bro lol
@@MatthewChicagoI feel that. H, pharma, fent, subs, xan, now I'm on methadone scared to come off..
The withdrawal was torturous. The restless legs for 12 hours made me crazy.
Hell yea I feel you. The sleepless nights are horrible
12 hours damn. Mine lasted like 6 days.
I’m saying. 12 hours? Mine was like that for probably at least 6-7 days. It got better day by day. I can feel it now just thinking about it. I hated the smell that comes out your body and your pee stinks. Feet are sweating and too lazy and hurting to get a shower.
@@mikehunt4797- Even with huge amounts of Diazepam and Temazepam, Zopiclone and I still couldn't sleep properly or relieve my restless legs and that duvet thing where one minute your cold and then you throw your duvet off because your hot and clamy and you keep repeating that process along with the diarrhoea! This was a Heroin /Methadone withdrawal so I can't say if it is any worse than Fentynal as our Heroin ain't tainted with it but what I will say is thus is Methadone is worse to come off than Heroin. 🇬🇧
Jesus bro… why didn’t you go to your doctor for medicine? Requip is GREAT for restless legs. It stopped mine completely.
Social worker and counsellor here - this was a fantastic video; i wish everyone in health care had this perspective and information.
Hey I am looking to study social work currently in a small community collage What program would you recommend if I want to go into mental health field to become a psychologist
@@Maniagio It is strange to be asking for such major, life-changing career advice from a complete stranger on YT. Especially since that person has no idea what courses are offered at your particular community college. You have access to plenty of information and advice at your college. Why not just ask there? One can't even begin to answer such a question without having much more information about what you want and what you can do.
17 year old kid, i've had my issues with blues/fent/wtv you'll call it since i was 12. i just had a slip up and had a week of life that wasn't real. im so horribly dope sick now and feelings the consequences deeply. for all of you out there fighting this disease know you're not alone, you're loved and you matter. you're going to win. and so am i. humans make mistakes and it doesn't change your worth. keep fighting
Detox buddy...
👊🏾👊🏾🫵🏾✊🏾
I've been where you are, entire time I was 16 and 17 I was doing the same shit, im 18 and I still use sometimes, im homeless now though and currently trying to get out, I feel you dude I'm sorry, we'll get better tho yk? love you dude fr.
Big ol facts don’t let one slip up throw u into full relapse. We all fuck up just pick up where you left off and take it one day at a time. Learn from you’re mistakes so you don’t keep making the wrong decisions expecting different results that’s insanity.
@@danielquintana4963took me almost 20 something years to realize I was doing the same thing over and over again really thinking I was going somewhere. 1 step ahead but 2 backwards
Lack of compassion for addicts is one of the things I despise the most in society. It demonstrates an enormous lack of knowledge, intelligence AND moral.
If you say "it's like the flu" you've never did a cold turkey withdrawal
For me it was pretty much like a flu, but a reallllllllllly bad flu
thats a fact, IDK wtf kind of flu these people be getting....
Dude i know right, ill admit herion withdrawl did kinda feel like a really really bad flu, but fentanyl?!?!?! Whole different level.
ok how about it is like the flu, but for people who did it to themselves and should have known better?
@@bobloblaw9679 Your ignorance of substance use is amazing. I can almost see the diarrhea dripping down your chin.
I used heroin for 20 years, started using at 15y.o. Now in rehab for 12 years. All this is true.
I mean I don't think anyone would lie about being an addict. Congrats tho🎉
Praying and wishing you all the best during your recovery🤍🙏🏽
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in the 65 years of my life.
That's heavy 😮
Me too. The hardest thing in my 50 years
Easily the hardest. It's truly a nightmare come to life.
What would you say, which part did your faith play in your struggle, or was it before you became a Christian?
@@DominikKoppensteiner I was on a path of getting rid of ungodly things in my life and this was one of them. The Lord has given me the desire, hope, and most importantly the strength to endure these trials: smoking first, homosexuality second, drug and alcohol abuse next, all kind of abuse. I’m a totally different person now.
With my addictive personality I’m glad I never tried this poison. Must be a nightmare to get off of, my heart goes out to all of those suffering in the throes of addiction and trying to quit. I hope you all get the help you need.
Im glad i only ever went as far as weed and alcohol. I dont mind being dependant on weed but had to quit drinking as i was beginning to have the shakes in the morning.
The worst kick ever. Pure hell. Drenched in sweat while freezing. My hair hurts. Can't ever get comfortable for weeks. No sleep.
Hey how are you? ❤
@@ChicagoGurl I kicked. I'm back to normal now. Took almost 3 weeks but I'm feeling good hitting the gym, working. That was a hard-core withdrawal but I white knuckled it out.
@@user-yq7yi3dm8m that’s so awesome. Stay strong, 💪 You did it!!!!
@@user-yq7yi3dm8mHow are you now?
@@user-yq7yi3dm8m remember those feelings if you get a thought to use.
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.sporessss I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
I wish they were readily available in my place.
Microdosing was my next plan of care for my husband. He is 59 & has so many mental health issues plus probable CTE & a TBI that left him in a coma 8 days. It's too late now I had to get a TPO as he's 6'6 300+ pound homicidal maniac.
He's constantly talking about killing someone.
He's violent. Anyone reading this Familiar w/ BPD know if it is common for an obsession with violence.
Is he on instagram?
Yes he is. dr.sporessss
Restless legs were the worst for me no matter how you lay you can’t get comfortable
Restless body! My entire body, my fucking finger tips, my torso is the WORST! I lay there and flap around stretching like a fish out of water! It's bad. To the point where I gotta get up but I can't even find the strength to get up.
@@mindaellis5054 my God... as a person who never did drugs it really sounds like hell. I know it's weird but I am actually physically afraid of drugs, because of the hell they bring. I wish you the strength to pull through this.
@@mindaellis5054 and the mental anxiety is brutal. Trying to sleep is the absolute worst. Ugh.
Absolutely! It’s maddening. If I had access to a firearm during withdrawal I wouldn’t be here now.
@@matthewstuart2054same is Brutal Brutal hellish hell. To be stable is such a beautiful thing. Just to have a normal body. To watch a film or read a book. To Go out for food and be able to eat comfortable and for your skin to feel normal and no hyposensitivity. Hope I can get clean. Starting to think am a lifer.
The cold sweats were the worst especially during the winter while having a physically laborious job! Forget about it! But recovery is still possible & life is actually good after! Its a tough fight but possible!
My God I know right! Those 10 hour plus days in the rain really bring you to your knees man lol, especially when your bones feel like icicles
33 days clean today, still going strong ❤️
You went to work while rattling? Wow you are one strong hardcore man as I can even drag myself out of bed. 🇬🇧👍
I am suffering from this now I work six days a week and am trying to quit it's hard as fuck man
@loudog3998 Gabapentin can also help with withdrawal but you must be careful.It causes drowsiness.
I know it works for those times one may get restless leg,arm or whole body syndrome.
This is so accurate and great to see! Very well made, as a opioid patient that eventually turned to heroin and then fentanyl over the past 16 years…. And now finally started a methadone treatment program a few months ago…. We need to be talking about this more, especially the societal impact and stigma aspect. It’s already such a big mountain to overcome, the last thing we need is our family and friends treating us like trash, or like we deserve to go through it…simply because we made choices that lead us down this path… which let me tell you, it is a very slippery slope and anyone can find themselves on it in the blink of an eye 🤐🤯. I don’t wish it on my worst enemy, nor would I let anyone go through this struggle for me if I could. No one deserves the feeling of opioid withdrawal symptoms. Unless you’ve gone through it, you don’t truly understand what it’s like, please don’t forget that and try to be compassionate and patient❤.
I'm on methadone for close to a year now! The only thing I can suggest Is get yourself as quickly as you can off of it... Obviously I'm not saying 2 weeks or anything ridiculous like that. But if I knew I would have done my treatment in 6 months all of it instead of coming to a year and still being on it. Considering I went from 60mg down to 18mg now... It is very hard. That's why I'm saying the faster the better as methadone you also get withdrawals from it.. especially when your body gets hooked to it. At the end of the day it's an opiate and people abuse it especially when they haven't tried any drug like that before. But great job! The light gets brighter the more you get closer to recovery. It starts bleak but it is better and better. Also be mindful of "pink cloud turning to gray"! Meaning you will have moments of wanting to use after couple of months! It's normal! Everyone has this. But be strong and don't give in. Start to build your life again around you. Create bonds and relationships where you will not want to use again as you value the things around you. Otherwise your recovery is bleak... If you have nothing to fight for you will give in! But other than that remember you are strong! 90% of people that judge us! Would never ever go through what we went through! Keep strong! And value yourself for who you are! Look In the mirror and see what you have accomplished. As it's an accomplishment! And don't feel regretful, say that I have experienced the thrill and the bad side of this and also I'm alive and well! It's like any relationship in life whether it's a partner or hobby or craft of any kind..it's the same with drugs! It's an relationship that has come to an end! But you can still be friends! No sexual endeavour with her anymore but just talking to eachother. Obviously this is metaphorically speaking. I find it easier that way for me..as the fear of losing something is scary but knowing that she is still there being the drug I'm referring too. It's comforting.
How often do you go,most clean people get 28 days now since the V+VX.Thats the USA where they're trying to relax the laws after 50 years "motaA every other country in the world,all Europe, Australia,NZ, much of South America have you call a doctor who prescribes 30 days with 2 refills.
@@richardmaier28 I have to go to the methadone clinic 5 days a week 🤯😑! So frustrating and annoying, but I also understand sort of.
@@dominikkaszuba8420 thank you for your words of kindness and support! They are taken seriously and with a warm heart! You’re words have shown me how much I need to find a support group and system that I can rely on and trust to help support me. Thankfully I do have something to fight for… I found out in Dec. that I will be a father in august, a baby girl. The first for me somehow…🙈! I have lived three lives in one and tattood for the better part of 15 years. The fact I haven’t had a kid yet is mind blowing honestly, but is also all the more reason to finally be done playing with fire 🔥…literally 🤯.
Your going to be blown away by this but I’m already at 140mg of methadone and still struggling to stabilize 😶🌫️🥵! Having Strength is an understatement to the extent of what I’ve endured over the past few months, to say I’m clean would be a slap in the face to those who are…but I’m doing very well and have a realistic outlook for the time it’ll take to get my life back. I was doing a couple grams of strait fentanyl powder a day, and down to a few points every few days while I’ve been stabilizing onto the methadone. With having days without using at all. My goal is to be completely done supplementing by the beginning of may and on track for that.
Thank you again for taking the time to say a few words, it warmed my heart reading it and sounded a lot like something I would have said to someone else going through it 🥰.
Day 4 today !!!
how u feeling brother ?
day 1 today
Day 10 ! I hope that you are doing well ❤
Suboxone saved my life ❤
How’s everyone’s recovery doing today?
I am still doing good 🌝
Day three. So sick 🤢
Keep going!!
Day 1 … keep going… we can do this and live our lives to the fullest … wish me luck … but my resolve is the strongest it’s ever been
🤗🙏🏼
🙏🏼 try baths. break day into hours. chicken soup or bone broth.
@@emmapeel8163 YES!!! I forgot about that. I took so many showers when I was sick 👍
The reason that heroin and Fentanyl are so popular now is the fact that pain management is almost impossible to find. Even hospitals don't want to prescribe any kind of opioid or morphine.
I know 3 people that have died from withdrawal because their doctor quit prescribing.
I use Kratom , nothing else. I quit opiates Jan.20th 2009. It almost killed me.
I'm 67 now and soon I'll be gone,but I will leave sober.....
Sobriety is the best way to live your life.
11 years clean of opioids. Withdrawal was absolutely horrible.
11 here too. no opios and not a drop of alcohol may 2013
Its time we kill this "2-5 days of withdrawal" myth.
I've had serious physical withdrawals well into 20 days or more. And that's just the majority of major physical withdrawals.
Then there's the paws (post acute withdrawl) that lasts up the TWO YEARS. This is a (mostly mental) withdrawal that consists of SERIOUS depression, major lack of energy, uncontrollable mood swings, as well as lingering physical withdrawals (SLEEP disturbances, restless leg syndrome, general aches and pains).
The " 3-5 days" timeline is a tell tale sign that a person has NEVER went through withdrawal themselves and only have clinical experience in treating (usually short sighted and very limited) opoid withdrawal.
Plz make this correction every single time you hear the "3-5 day" joke being made. The faster we kill this myth the better (and sooner) we can start treating opiate withdrawl accordingly.
Hi Russel, thanks for your post. Back in the day ,(70's-to early 90's) medically supervised withdrawl was done in select hospitals using a combination of meds, the first ones were anti anxiety followed by muscle relaxants and finally methadone .was provided 12-18 hours after admission to the ward in dedicated single occupancy rooms (for the first 3 days). after which you moved to a normal shared hospital room on the ward and atended mandatory group meetings while being tapered off. I assure you that 3-5-7 day treatment iwas standard practice. It was hell to be sure but effective.
From my experience it depends solely on what you use, how much you use and how long since your last detox. Withdrawal from using perv 10s everyday for 2 months will be completely different than withdrawal from using powder fent everyday for 2 years.
@@kimberleymansfield1099 we knew less about opiate withdrawl then than we do today, and we continue to know more every day.
It may have been "standard treatment", but that doesn't mean it's the most effective or most efficient. What they essentially did, was replace heroin with the methadone, as they occupy the same opiate receptor sites, tell the patient they were through the majority of withdrawals, and then send them home only for the patient to re enter their detox 48 hours later. They basically post poned or prolonged the withdrawl and upon symtoms returning These patients were not re admitted, as they were told they had already received "standard" treatment. The data looked great because patients reported no withdrawl upon leaving the hospital, and due to not being re admitted following "standard" procedure could not dispute this data. This is the same thing "rapid detoxes" do. They usually pump a patient full of buprenorphine, and keep them unconscious for any PRECIPITATED withdrawals they might experience.
These patients feel fine upon awakening with the buprenorphine in their system, are told they are "cured" or past the withdrawl ( when being discharged), only to find themselves in the deepest throws of withdrawl as soon as the medication wears off around 24-48 hrs later.. (Although some are given a 30 day supply of buprenorphine). This in the end only prolongs or post pones it..
The protocol for opiate withdrawl decades ago were Probably why the relapse rate for heroin during that time period was estimated to be at around 85% or more.
Don't get me wrong, some patients do see a significant reduction in symptoms after the 3 to 5 day mark. And some might even see reductions due to suggestion in a placebo type effect. But for most ppl, it's near impossible to convince a person who is going through hell at day 5 that they aren't experiencing withdrawl symptoms anymore. With methadone, withdrawl often doesn't even start until day 3 and peaks around day 10. Usually lasting around 25 days or more.
I'm not disagreeing with you so much as I am trying to share education. I have explored the data from this topic foe 2 decades and have a similar amount of time with FIRSTHAND experience.
@@jordanr9921 yes, what you use and how much, and mostly for how long. Other deciding factors are genetic makeup, existing medical conditions and course of treatment for detoxing.
I replied but those comments disappeared. "Standard treatment " doesn't mean most efficient or effective. We have learned a lot since back in the day and continue to learn more every day.
For me it WAS like having flu for two weeks but I'm a chronic pain patient who never got high on morphine family opioids or fentanyl in 17 years at a pain management clinic the last 11 of which was on a transdermal fentanyl patch. I had no diarrhea. In fact after 17 years of constipation my stool quickly returned to normal. I did have sweats, chills, lacrimation, rhinorrhea, yawning, restless leg, insomnia and of course much higher pain levels. I required prescription ambien for the first 12 days to sleep. This all happened because the opioid crisis forced my pain clinic to go out of business. I blame opioid abusers and their litigious money grubbing for this. I know addiction is a disease and I wish everyone the best but they collectively destroyed my ability to get the only relief my lifetime nerve damaged torture chamber body has ever had. Thanks a bunch.
It feels like like the devil dipped his nails in poison and stuck them in every nerve ending at once.
I could never find the words to describe it, you describe it perfectly.
@@naeemtull2026I know, right? It's so poetic 🥲
That's a great way to put it. Unfortunately sober people think we are exaggerating for sympathy or to get more drugs. That couldn't be farther from the truth. I _wish_ we were just pretending to go through literal *hell.*
Another misconception is that people start doing opioids just for fun, but half the time it’s literally a prescribed pain med that causes someone to become physically dependent/addicted in the first place
There are humane and effective methods for detoxing individuals in hospitals under medical supervision. However, these crucial services are still only available to those who can afford them, not to everyone who needs them. It’s essential that we work towards making such vital healthcare accessible to all.
Way more profits in turning them on to methadone. Withdrawals from Heroin could take 10 days, withdrawal from Methadone can take several months so once you're hooked on that they have you for life
20 years of opioid use, 4 months clean . Feel so much better.
"I was a heroin addict when I was 18 years old. I went through a bunch of rehabs for 5 years, but none worked, so I did the most insane thing I've ever done: I quit cold turkey after yo-yoing in and out of rehabs. It was a kamikaze move back then. I was going to die anyway, so why not go crazy? It was 2 weeks of hell: vomiting, muscle cramps, feeling freezing even though it was blazing hot outside, insomnia, etc. Believe me, it was hell. And what's worse is the withdrawal. For 3 months, all that was in my mind was drugs. The anxiety was almost unbearable. But after 3.6 months, it got better. I started going to the gym, earning some money, and my life was 1000x better. It was like getting out of jail. And that experience of stopping cold turkey gave me PTSD about drugs. Never again do I want to go through that. No way.
Now, I've been sober for 15 years. I go to the gym, work as an Android developer, and work from home, earning a very decent amount of money. Yeah, I rent my dad's home, but it's better than being homeless. Besides, he loves being around his grandkids. 16 years sober. My advice? Don't do what I did. Quitting drugs cold turkey is really hell."
The worst part for me was the anxiety. I started using BECAUSE of anxiety. So imagine the constant feeling of anxiousness, finding the worst thing to use for it, and then having to deal with the withdrawal. So terrible. NEVER use it to cover up anxiety. There are better things out there.
I had a heavy IV fentanyl habit and the detox was so terrible that I don't have the words to describe it. I couldn't eat, drink, or sleep.. I was just sweating, hallucinating, and wanting to d i e. The only reason I was able to get through it is because my kids were in foster care with strangers. It was brutal though.. and that is honestly a part of what's kept me from relapsing. Its been 6yrs now.
I got clean for my kid. I was at the court house and just tested positive for fentanyl, my kid was about 1.5 years. They told me they were taking him into care and I lost it. I begged them to give me one last chance and she gave it to me (shockingly). I never fucked up again. Been clean since Jan 2010. CAS case closed since Dec 2010 💪. My son just turned 16, he’s my world ❤
@@missindependent1973 in 2017 DCFS in Cleveland wasn't testing for fentanyl yet...we were coming up clean and had to argue and tell them we were not sober!
Almost 2 months clean. And holy hell i cant believe it. Ive been through suboxone withdrawals, heroin withdrawals, oxy withdrawals, nothing compares to fentanyl withdrawals. That shit is absolute hell. Took 2 weeks to stop feeling sicker than ive ever been. And im still shaking in the mornings and not sleeping well. But its worth it.
I have done every drug in excess in every combination, known to man since I was 15. I went by ambulance to detox with a blood pressure of 86/43. Suboxone is working. My last dose was 04/09 at 11pm. I’m never doing it again. My body would not sleep and I thrashed in agony uncontrollably for days.
Are you still on Subox?
Nice, keep going. Even if you need to stay on low dose sub for a while.
I really appreciated watching her talk.. she was very informative and compassionate.. which isn’t something you always get with people talking about addiction
IM GRATEFUL GOING TO PRISON TO GET THE HELP I NEED IT SAVED MY LIFE AND IM GONA STAY CLEAN AND SOBER WORKING ON 2 YEARS CLEAN
Biker, when I first looked at this video, I was kind of chuckling to myself. There are a lot of guys in prison ‘jonesing’, eventually they get through it. I had never been arrested or in jail, but found myself in a house of correction of the age of 72 due to a false DV charge, I was later exonerated. Congratulations on your victory
🎉
Your positivism is great ! It looks like you understand that is a fight you have to do on your own . So difficult . I wish you all the good luck !
@@woutervanlent5181 YES I APPRECIATE IT.. I SEE SO MANY PEOPLE STUCK ON THIS STUFF STILL AND THEY DON'T HAVE A REASONABLE ANSWER TO GET HELP.. ITS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT IT.
The one stigma that bothers me the most is that people that have never been through it say it's a choice to live that way. Nope. It may or not have been a choice when starting the drugs but it certainly wasn't part of the plan for anyone I've come into contact w/ that have the goal of being a full blown junky. Sober from opioids since 2004. Life during those several years before that were a living hell.
the first time was a choice, then you get 'taken'.
it took me back then too
Not to mention that well over half of heroin addicts (and other opiate addicts) started with legally prescribed medication for a medical condition, such as an injury, surgery, or other conditions. Starting on opiates isn't always a choice, and it's usually not just a choice to get high.
That metaphor of being deprived of water in a room with only a toilet was incredibly valuable. I remember someone once asking me if I would steal from a child if I was starving and I was sensible enough to just say, “I don’t ever want to know what I would do if I was truly starving.” The truth is that we are way more susceptible to strange behavior when we are suffering on a primal level. People need to humble up. All it takes is a bad injury, then a few misfortunes on top to be in the same terrible situation. My heart goes out to everyone fighting this battle. There is help, you are worth it, and you can do it. ❤️
I think reduction always works, as long as you can stand against the craving. 5% less every day (or 10% less every 2 days) and you are out in about 3 weeks.
i just want my nose and eyes to stop running.
Boy those are the easiest parts of withdrawal lol
@@whitemamba0089lmfaoooo facts , talk to me when you can’t quit movin your legs , can’t find any position that’s even remotely comfortable , or when your shitting urself , I can go on an on, the twitches , the sweats , hot cold . Straight hell
And the worse part is, you know EXACTLY what can instantly cure that horrible feeling 😢🥲
@@XstonedmonkeyzX I’m right now literally dying dope sick
@@jdaman3960 best way is to taper down. And best way to taper is using nasally. Since you can each time, or day use less and less until you're using a very tiny amount. And its easier to see that you're using less in powder form than anyway else... Before breaking, I was able to make a $5 dollar buy, last me 3 days!!!
I was prescribed suboxone for 8 years with no plan to stop. I finally just stopped taking it on my own on my birthday last year. My birthday is December 21st and it was hell for two months but now I know how strong I am. It’s worth the pain to be free of the nightmare
congratulations❤❤
Wow by far the best explanation to what these people-who by the way are human beings- suffer and suffer through. More compassion and empathy for human suffering. She’s exactly right!!
This is SUCH a good video. That animation shown is by far the best visual representation of withdrawal I have ever seen. Dark, dirty, depressing... Excellent work 👏
Long story edited. I fell, ended up having back surgery. After being on Fentynal for 15 years, I quit 'cold turkey'.
It was only by the grace of God that I had restless legs for 2 nights only and never felt withdrawals, cravings or the need to go back to this medication.
My pain specialist says it takes 3 months approximately for the brain to return to normal.
God can do anything. This was my personal experience.
Thank you for sharing. I came to this post to find out what to expect. My son 53 yr old. Has told me he has been using fentanyl for his pain for quite awhile. Just went through a second 12 hr surgery in 4 months . He has no job because he can’t work till his arm heals up. Doctors told him to go to a place that gets you on Suboxone. He went yesterday & got first dose. Came home crying& screaming in pain. Hot, cold , body hurting, can’t sleep or stay still. I don’t know what to do for him. He thinks the Suboxone made him feel this way so doesn’t want it now & too sick to get up and go back to where he got it. He just told me he can’t stand it anymore & has to get his drug. He has no money or vehicle. So he started taking Benedril today to make him sleep. I’m sorry this is so long. I’m just a mom that doesn’t know what to do except spray & give him to God & have all my friends praying. Your words were encouraging to me. God Bless you.
@@victorianprincess955 Thank you for sharing...
Was the Fentynal prescribed? If he truly is in pain I don't understand why he's trying to stop.... If the pain is coming from his body screaming for its meds., he'll have to get professional help.
Fentynal is not to be prescribed for temporary treatment. It is more for long term or chronic pain. I'm no doctor, but I find it unusual for any doctor to prescribe this level of pain relief.
What are the motivations for your son to stop? Those dreams can help him look forward to a future.
Is he smoking it?!! That's a whole different animal and very very dangerous. If he is smoking it, make sure you have Narcan (a nasal spray) that should be handy because overdosing is common when used in this fashion. Narcan can save his life. I just found out paramedics have used 3 cans on one patient! I thought one would be enough...
Princess, find an online support group. You will need to take care of you... talk to your doctor if you are not sleeping...
I will pray for you after I hit send Princess ...
God bless you dear 🩷
Great video, with beautiful explanations!
Wow.. what an incredibly eloquent individual. You are spot on.... thank you
I did dope for about 15 years from 19 to 34 …. At my peak an 8 ball of raw H would last me around 1 full day plus I’d have one saved for the am then I’d be out again & back at zero. And I quit 8 years & 2 months ago.
I believed I was incurable and that no one else was as f’d up as me.
Now 8 years later I own my own decent vehicle, my own place, got my teeth fixed, have good credit, and have better relationships with my loved ones than any other time in my life. That’s just to name a few things off the list.
To anyone out there caught up in it…
If I can make it out, anyone can.
It really is possible if you want it for real .😊
Wish everyone would be as knowledgeable, informed, and as empathetic as this. Being a long time recovering addict myself, I know exactly what full withdrawal looks like, and feels like. Not sleeping for 2 and a half weeks and only passing out from pure exhaustion for maybe 30 min here and there is something I would never want to go through again. That doesn't include the pure agony of how you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally.
I'm a medical professional. I knew that the withdrawal was fatal. I had no idea how. Thank you for this video. It filled in a lot of knowledge gaps.
This is the best video describing opiate withdrawals ever..
I was doing fetty, meth, and xanax every day. I got hit by a car and woke up a month later. Another month of learning how to walk and I left that hospital sober. That car running me down in the street was the best thing that ever happened to me. I dont even take perscribed pain killers. I smoke weed for any pain that arises from the accident, and that's it. Being in the hospital for a little over 2 months really sucked but it isn't as bad as kicking fentanyl cold turkey in a jail cell.
.....im about to start voluntarily in the next several days. Late 40's, and i cant remember being this scared...ever.
Start doing fentanyl voluntarily?
8 Days further now . How are you ? Your comment impressed me . Good luck !
Fear of wds is powerful and is often worse than the actual wds...Best of luck!
I learned a lot. Thanks.
What a lovely real and compassionate lady.
In a few days I will be at one year clean from fentaynl. Quit myself which not the best idea but I got thru it and I can't believe I'm a few days from a year. Worst thing to go thru ever but if your determined just make sure you have a support team to encourage you to keep clean. Make a list of things that you enjoy or things you miss about your life prior to this lifestyle.
Thank God!! So happy for you!
Great video, i've learned a lot! The women in this video sounds very eloquent and educated, a pleasant listening experience in my opinion.
Absolutely. Bless this brilliant gem of a human.
To the Narrator - you have a very effective communication style that appeals to many different types. This is very rare so keep up your great work here!
Great video
What an amazing and compassionate women!
The restless legs and arms WHILE AWAKE was enough to make me cry. It really fucking sucks
No words can describe how torturous and relentless the feeling is.
Being dog tired but unable to stop moving to try find relief. Praying for sleep to try kill time only for sleep to finally come and you wake up praying hours have passed but it’s only 10 minutes when you check your watch.
Knowing you could ring someone at any moment and they can bring relief directly to your door. It’s just mental and physical torture
Amazingly described, thank you xo
Thanks. Great explanation around dependence and addiction
I’m 7 days in and i can’t handle it anymore.
I hear you man. I hear you, but you can. You're almost done. ALMOST DONE! Hardest part is ending. Make it one more minute, it's OK to not handle it anymore. Don't think about the past, don't think about the future, your friends, your family... just the next minute. Almost there dude.
Man just drink a lot water bro. I'm here also trying my best man you can do it man don't give up man
I'm 7 days in too man
You're Golden.
Oh hunny.
I really loved how she explained the concept of survival instincts. That's was very well put. However, as someone who went through the whole suboxone ringer on and off for multiple years without any long term success after getting off (and detoxing off the suboxone for 30 straight days), WHY do doctors not properly explain what an opioid antagonist ACTUALLY is and what it is ACTUALLY doing? Continuing to feed the parts of your brain craving the drug. Literally antagonizing the addiction while also suppressing it. If youkep applying stress and pressure to something as cunning baffling and powerful as addiction, like our human instinct to survive like this video was comparing. My next very serious question as the target of your audience, why do we only talk about the things that are antagonizing and suppressing and yet almost no one knows about vivitrol? They don't know because prescribers don't mention it. You have to be the one to bring it up. But why is that if we are really trying to help people regain their health? It had no physical dependency. It's a once a month injection which provides a massive safety net in times of uncertainty that methadine and suboxone, that are taken daily, do not. It removed the craving for it enough that when I felt like I would have given in the first couple weeks before the vivitrol really started working, I knew I couldn't. Because it was a 1x per month injection. I only had to make the decision 1 day a month. For an addict or alcoholic that daily decision could be the difference between life and death. You also cannot get high off of vivitrol or the daily pill form of vivitrol, neltrexone. I got off fentynal and on Vivitrol and stayed on it for 4 months. I have not gone back since. After about 5 years on opioids/opiates. I have been off for almost 4 months and I don't ever have cravings. I have no desire for them. I'm truly blessed to have gotten away from Percocet, heroin, fentanyl, meth, cocaine, and tons of ecstasy after 16 years of addiction. I maintain with other things that work for me and they are not pills or drugs or anything like that. I connect with like minded people who had a solution that worked for them to offer to me for “fun and for free because someone did it for them,” they say. These questions are not to be attacking or to knock anyone who is staying off the streets by being on these medications. I'm just asking valid questions as someone these medications are targeted for and who has been through them time and time again. I believe the vivitrol worked for me as far as my physical brain goes because I was no longer feeding the addiction while also blocking it from being free to have what it wanted. And I didn't even have intense cravings. I just had to figure out what to do physically with myself instead of sit around anxious until I inevitably went back to the drugs. For me being active helps tremendously. Also magnesium. Please. If you struggle from addiction look uo the benefits of magnesiumand add vitamin D3 once a day to help with depressive symptoms. Essential oils work amazing too for depression and anxiety. Look up which ones are best for your personal needs.
I hope this can open room for consideration and for me and anyone reading it to continue to be aware and question what we are told and not told and what other options we have available. Vivitrol is very hard on the liver so check with your doctor of course as I am not one.
Withdrawal is the worst thing I think I’ve ever had to deal with. Thank goodness I was able to finally get off for good especially before Fentanyl. I’d be dead for sure.
Very well communicated and spoken.
While I was withdrawing, I went seven days, almost without eating or drinking because I couldn’t bear the thought. I would be nauseated thinking of trying to eat or drink anything. It’s so dangerous, please do it professionally. But do it!
Natural apple juice saved my day in my withdrawal experience. It gives you some energy and won't make you vomit
some people need opioids withdrawal is not the answer for everyone, some will be fine on methadone while a small group will need heroin prescription. Consider the hill tribes of Loas whose old people smoke opium as its their cultural right ,the only group of human beings with an international recognized right to use opium .
It was the inability to sleep that was worse for me. Literally 6 days awake
well said, great video
Thank you for explaining this.
Withdrawing in jail is even worse especially when you don’t have subboxon
yep i went cold turkey in uk prison ..and it was a nightmare ..but i got over it ...
For some people with less self discipline it can be effective sometimes.
Unimaginable
Great video!
Quito-Ecuador 🇪🇨
Whoever is going through this. You can do this. The moment you're about to give in, remember all the pain and suffering this drug has done to you. I know you miss the person you were before this, just know that person is still inside you, just waiting to come back! Accept God and put out your hand.... You're currently in the worst pain you've ever been in, what do you have to lose? 🙏
Wow! What a very well laid out video. Thank you.
I just had 8 years clean off of heroin. I got sober right when fentanyl started hitting the streets of Philly. I got so lucky I missed it cuz all of my friends died from it shortly after
Thanks for sharing and wishing you all the best and sorry for the loss of your friends
Hope you’re doing well and im sorry for your loss.
you're also missing all the next gen opiates, including one I heard about that is loads stronger than fentynl and requires twice as much narcan if you OD. And it doesn't show up in standard tests. It was so harsh that even drug companies said "no this is too much." So you KNOW its a problem if that's the case. Unfortunately someone found the recipe decades later. i remember hearing about it in a video hosted by Simon Whistler. I think it was under Into the Shadows.
Same same same. Timing couldnt have been better. Everytime i got fent i realized this really suxks. Dunzo.
God damn. So well said and articulated. You basically covered everything. This is like the best elevator pitch for people who don't understand addiction, physical dependence or methadone/suboxone treatment. Fantastic!
This is an excellent piece.Thank you very much
Hey I'm going through it right now. I don't have anything to balance it out with. It feels like it's tearing my hips apart. Is that normal?
Hang in there you’re almost through the worst part or you are by now it gets better after a week or so
yes, that's is normal
Tramadol withdrawal is hell enough, i couldn’t imagine Fentanyl withdrawal
I use a combination of tramadol and paracetamol for pain relief and I perfectly can manage without it when my back doesn't hurt. I only take it when my back hurts or for headache.
I wouldn't look past tramadol withdrawal as being easier than some of the scarier opioids out there. Tramadol has unique pharmacology from what I've been told it acts sort of like an antidepressant along with a pain reliever. So you're experiencing opioid withdrawal and in some cases antidepressant discontinuation syndrome too. Doesn't sound very fun.
Tramadol withdrawal is 500x times worse than fentanyl trust me I know.
I was on vacation in Mexico a few months ago, I went in a drugstore to buy sunscreen and was offered Tramadol, it was on special the lady said, two boxes for the price of one. I said no thanks and walked out, but found it very disturbing to be offered this dangerous drug. My only drug is alcohol, not the best, but I can use only once or twice a week.
She got this spot on. Once you’re doing them just to not get sick it’s time to quit. 9 days sober. Withdrawals are actual hell physically and mentally it’s torture.
Thank God you made the decision to quit! Wishing you all the best 🤍🤍!
Shes speaking absolute facts,,,shout out from London
Can someone explain why 10 minutes of withdrawal seems like 10 years? Why does time stand still?
Time is relative, you must not be having any fun.
Cuz pain and agony is real! If nothing else is at least Pain is real
Your deep subconscious and primal brain take over and are screaming for a fix.. so it slows time under the surface.. it’s kinda like trying to think of a actor and you can’t remember their name but 2 days later it pops in your head. I think honestly that is the worst part of withdrawal is a min. Seems like a month
ITS REAL WITHDRAWALS ARE REAL AND TRIGGERS ARE JUST AS REAL YOU NEED BE STRONG TO AND WANT TO GET CLEAN AND STAY CLEAN ITS UP TO YOU TO MAINTAIN IT
You gotta go through the pain in order to get better ❤
@@janycebrown4071 NOW I KNOW WHY PEOPLE SAY THEY'D RATHER DIE THEN GO THROUGH WITHDRAWALS
@@janycebrown4071 THATS IF YOU LIVE THROUGH IT NOW IM HEARING PEOPLE ARE DIEING FROM WITHDRAWALS OR DIE PERIOD SINCE HAS SOME NEW CUT IN IT WHERE IM FROM THAT NARCAN ISN'T WORKING ANYMORE
@@janycebrown4071 NOW I KNOW WHY PEOPLE WERE SCARED TO GO TO PRISON OR REHAB THAT HAS A HABIT WITHIN 12 HOURS OF MY LAST HIT I WAS FROZEN SWEATING AND THROWING UP FOR NEXT FEW DAYS IT GOTTEN WORSE
The best life you can live is , without drugs and alcohol.
Thanks for this very factual video that explains some uncomfortable concepts in a digestible manner.
1 year sober today #fuckfent
Accurate... I hate it
This is a great video
I was prescribed this for a few days following a major back surgery. Its ability to pain manage was far beyond what i thought was possible by medication alone.
How about just allowing people to have their natural rights to have any and as much of a drug as they want!
Suboxone saved my life ❤
Getting off it ruined mine
@@elizabethg6199 l am sorry to hear that 😔It took me 7 years to ween off it.
Thank you for educating us - this was very informative. Withdrawal sounds absolutely nightmarish. I didn’t know about the whole neurotransmitter aspect.
Massive thanks and respect to the healthcare professionals who work in rehab/recovery 👊🏼 not an easy job by any stretch but you're helping so many people, thank you 💜🌠
Jesus came to set the captives free!
medical issues like opioid withdrawal need medical fixes and not feel good make believe stories like jesus .
Smart, learned, well read, and compassionate.
Geeze. This is the best withdrawal video I have ever seen. Explained so well. I just went through precipitated withdrawal 2 days ago from wanting off and taking subs too soon. My god it was so horrible.
Hey me too… just last month went into precipitated. Felt like I was dying. That was what did it for me , that sucked!
Greatly said.
Very well done!